Hypersonic and underwater threat-sensing system

ABSTRACT

Maritime threat-sensing buoys include sensors—such as acoustic, radio frequency, visual, or other sensing devices—that track, identify, or classify hypersonic or underwater threats in real time. Some examples of suitable sensing devices include microphones, radio-frequency (“RF”) detectors (for example, RF antennas), infrared detectors, and machine-vision detectors. The maritime threat-sensing buoys may be deployed using aerial or maritime vessels, and may host payloads, such as threat-sensing mechanisms, batteries to power the threat-sensing mechanisms, solar panels configured to deliver electricity or other energy to the batteries or other devices, and other cargo or contents.

BACKGROUND

Hypersonic and underwater threats, such as low-trajectory missiles and torpedoes, have increased in recent years, often from international locations. Satellite networks designed to identify these hypersonic and underwater threats are not planned to launch for several years and, even if they eventually do launch, will provide only limited, visual threat information.

SUMMARY

Maritime threat-sensing buoys include sensors—such as acoustic, radio frequency, visual, or other sensing devices—that track, identify, or classify hypersonic or underwater threats in real time. Some examples of suitable sensing devices include microphones, radio-frequency (“RF”) detectors (for example, RF antennas), infrared (“IR”) detectors, and machine-vision detectors. The maritime threat-sensing buoys may be deployed using aerial or maritime vessels, and may host payloads, such as threat-sensing mechanisms, batteries to power the threat-sensing mechanisms, solar panels configured to deliver electricity or other energy to the batteries or other devices, or other cargo or contents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a maritime threat-sensing buoy, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an interior of the maritime threat-sensing buoy shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a maritime threat-sensing system including multiple maritime threat-sensing buoys.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the detection capabilities of a maritime threat-sensing buoy relative to other detection systems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described. The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding and enabling description of these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand, however, that the invention may be practiced without many of these details. Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description of the various embodiments.

The terminology used in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the invention. Certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this detailed description section.

Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural or singular term, respectively. Moreover, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the other items in a list of two or more items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of items in the list. Further, unless otherwise specified, terms such as “attached” or “connected” are intended to include integral connections, as well as connections between physically separate components.

Turning now in detail to the drawings, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , in one embodiment a maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 includes an upper shell 12 connected to a lower shell 14. The upper shell 12 and lower shell 14 may be removably connected to each other, hinged to each other, permanently connected to each other, or otherwise connected or integrated. Some suitable connectors include bolts, screws, rivets, snaps, or other conventional connecting devices. In another embodiment, the maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 may be a unitary construction that includes one or more access panels or other mechanisms to provide access to the interior of the buoy 10.

The upper shell 12 and the lower shell 14 (or the unitary shell, in other embodiments) may be made of any suitable materials, such as a plastic or other polymeric material, or a composite material. The upper and lower shell materials are preferably marine rated or marine grade.

In some embodiments, the lower shell 14 or the upper shell 12 may be made of one or more buoyant materials that cause the buoy 10 to float. In other embodiments, the lower shell 14 or the upper shell 12 may contain a buoyant material 15, such as foam or another suitable material, that cause the buoy 10 to float. In yet other embodiments, the lower shell 14 or the upper shell 12 may be made of a buoyant material, and the lower shell 14 or the upper shell 12 may also contain a buoyant material 15. As used herein, the term “buoyant” refers to the shell material itself being buoyant, or one or more of the shells containing a buoyant material, or both.

The maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 may have any dimensions suitable to house its payload and other components. For example, at its widest portion, the buoy may have a diameter of as little as a few inches up to 40 inches or more. Smaller or larger diameters may be used depending on the payload of a given buoy. Depending on the size of the buoy 10 and the materials used to construct it, the buoy 10 may be relatively low-cost.

The upper shell 12 of the maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 may include a cover 16, such as a top cover or upper access panel, at least a portion of which may be made of a material that is radio-frequency (“RF”) transparent to facilitate transmission of RF signals through the cover 16. Some examples of suitable RF-transparent materials include Polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (“ABS”), acrylic, fiberglass, or similar materials. The lower shell 14, or at least a portion of the lower shell 14, may also be made of an RF-transparent material.

The maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 may include one or more solar panels 18 on an external surface of the buoy 10 (or otherwise positioned for exposure to the sun). The solar panels may be connected to one or more of the buoy shells with bolts, screws, rivets, snaps, or other conventional connecting devices. In another embodiment, the solar panels 18 may be integrally formed with one or more of the buoy shells 12, 14, such as by using an integral composite skin co-cured with solar cells, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 10,573,772, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The solar panels 18 are configured to convert energy from the sun to electricity or other energy that is delivered to one or more batteries 20 or other devices contained and secured in the maritime threat-sensing buoy 10. The batteries 20 may be mounted or otherwise secured in place via a mounting bracket, a stand, a battery housing, or any other suitable securing device. In other embodiments, the solar panels 18 may be omitted and long-life batteries may be used to power the buoy's electronics and other powered elements.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , the batteries 20 are contained and secured in the lower shell 14 of the buoy 10 but could alternatively be contained and secured in the upper shell 12, or in both the upper shell 12 and the lower shell 14. The batteries 20 may be connected to the solar panels 18 via a maximum peak power tracker (“MPPT”) or similar device. Leads on the batteries 20 may be electrically connected to one or more sensing mechanisms 30, 32 or other electronic devices in the buoy 10 to power those devices. The sensing mechanisms 30, 32 are described in detail below.

The maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 may include one or more handles 22 that facilitate an operator moving, loading, and unloading the buoy 10. The handles 22 may be connected to the upper shell 12, the lower shell 14, or both, via any suitable connectors, or they may be integral with one or more of the shells. In some embodiments, a flange 24 or other feature positioned around at least a portion of a perimeter of the buoy may include a recessed under-portion to facilitate gripping by a user, or it may include rubber pads or other grippable materials to facilitate handling of the buoy 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates an interior of the maritime threat-sensing buoy 10, according to one embodiment. A first sensing mechanism 30, including one or more sensors, is positioned and secured in the upper shell 12 at a location that resides above the surface of the water when the buoy 10 is afloat. The first sensing mechanism may be contained and secured in a first waterproof electronics box 34 or housing, or may otherwise be protected from water intrusion. The first sensing mechanism 30 may be configured to detect hypersonic threat objects or other threat objects occurring above the water's surface.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , a second sensing mechanism 32, including one or more sensors, is positioned in the lower shell 14 at a location that resides below the surface of the water when the buoy 10 is afloat. The second sensing mechanism may be contained and secured in a second waterproof electronics box 36 or housing, or may otherwise be protected from water intrusion. The second sensing mechanism 32 may be configured to detect underwater threat objects.

The first and second electronic boxes 34, 36 may be secured to interior walls or features of the buoy 10 in any suitable manner, such as via bolts, screws, rivets, snaps, or other conventional connecting devices. In other embodiments, one or both electronics boxes 34, 36 may be integral with internal walls or features of the buoy 10. Likewise, the first and second sensing mechanisms 30, 32 may be secured to features of, or features within, the first and second electronics boxes 34, 36 in any suitable manner, such as via bolts, screws, rivets, snaps, or other conventional connecting devices. In other embodiments, one or both sensing mechanisms 30, 32 may be integral with internal walls or features of the first and second electronics boxes 34, 36.

The sensors of the first and second sensing mechanisms 30, 32 may include one or more microphones, RF detectors, IR detectors, visual detectors, vibration detectors, or other suitable sensing or detecting devices. Examples of suitable sensors include acoustic microphones, RF antennas, IR sensors, machine-vision devices, artificial-intelligence devices, or any other devices capable of sensing or detecting threat objects—or any frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum—aurally, visually, vibrationally, or otherwise. In some embodiments, a machine-vision device may include one or more cameras or IR detectors configured to visually identify threat objects within a 360-degree region about the machine-vision device.

In some embodiments, either the first sensing mechanism 30 or the second sensing mechanism 32 may be omitted, such that the maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 is configured to detect only underwater threat objects, or to detect only hypersonic or above-water threat objects. In other embodiments, one or more additional sensing mechanisms may be included in the buoy 10 to provide additional detection capabilities. The one or more additional sensing mechanisms may be configured to detect threat objects or to detect other objects, such as whales, environmental elements, or any frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum. In some embodiments, the upper shell 12 may be partially or completely submerged, particularly where only underwater sensing is utilized. In other embodiments, the lower shell 14 may be partially or completely above the surface of the water, particularly where only hypersonic sensing is utilized.

In one embodiment, Fast Fourier Transforms (“FFTs”), or other conventional digital-signal-processing techniques, may be used to “listen” for and identify specific sounds or frequencies. In this way, sensors may be tuned to match the frequencies of anticipated threat objects. An RF detector, for example, may be tuned to detect frequencies of 50 MHz to 20 GHz, which are consistent with radio frequencies emitted or produced by aerial or underwater assets or threats such as missiles, torpedoes, or similar objects. Alternatively, an RF detector may be tuned to a wider or narrower range. As another example, an auditory microphone may be tuned to detect frequencies of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, which are consistent with auditory frequencies emitted or produced by aerial or underwater assets or threats such as missiles, torpedoes, or similar objects. Alternatively, an auditory microphone may be tuned to a wider or narrower range. In one embodiment, machine vision or artificial intelligence may be used to enhance post-processing of data obtained by a sensing device, such as data obtained by an RF detector, IR detector, or acoustic microphone.

In one embodiment, the process of acoustic or RF tracking may include time-stamping multiple maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 and listening for key frequencies or signatures that indicate magnitude and direction of threat objects. The maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 may include a communications system, such as a transmitter linked to an internal computer or processor for sending data to a satellite or external computer system. An internal computer may further include a software architecture that may be used to develop new sensors or integrate new sensors, which facilitates expansion of the buoy's sensing capabilities. The internal computer processor is preferably configured to efficiently convert large amounts of detected data into smaller packets of readily readable or understandable content. The transmitter may then transmit the processed data to a device or system remote from the buoy for analysis.

As shown in FIG. 3 , multiple maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 may be deployed in a region to provide additional access points and to collect additional data. In one embodiment, at least three buoys 10 may be deployed within approximately 50 miles of one another to provide triangulation of the position and trajectory of a threat object 40. The buoys 10 may be spaced closer together or farther apart depending on the number of buoys 10 used and the type of sensing being performed. Such a setup also facilitates removing outlier data that may not be recognized as outlier data using fewer buoys 10. The data from the buoys 10 may be transmitted to a satellite 42 or other receiver, which may then route the data to a processor 44, such as a terrestrial computer 44, or other computing device.

FIG. 4 demonstrates the advantages of using a maritime threat-sensing buoy 10, or a system of maritime threat-sensing buoys, relative to existing threat-detection systems. For example, a threat object such as a hypersonic glider traveling along path 50 from a launch site 51 may be detected by a maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 at a low altitude, including altitudes less than 100 km above the water's surface 52. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 detects the hypersonic glider at location 54, well in advance of location 56 where the same threat object would be detected by a conventional radar signal generated from a target location 62. Further, a ballistic missile, for example, traveling along path 60 may be detected much earlier by one or more maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 than a conventional radar if the missile is launched close enough to the one or more buoys 10. To this end, maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 may be positioned relatively close to a suspected threat, such as near the coastline of a suspected threat, to detect launch sounds from coastal, shipborne, or submarine-launched missiles or other threat objects.

The maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 may be part of a multi-domain, multi-layered sensing network of space and terrestrial sensors. A concept of operations (“ConOps”) may include interspersing fishing or environmental-sensing buoys with maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 so that threat entities cannot easily identify the maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 or distinguish them from other buoys.

In one embodiment, a method of maritime-threat detecting involves delivering one or more maritime threat-sensing buoys 10 to an ocean region (or a region in another body of water) using aerial or maritime vessels. The buoys 10 may be anchored in place using conventional anchors or othering anchoring systems, or they may be permitted to drift along the water's surface. The one or more sensing mechanisms in each of the buoys 10 may be manually activated at the delivery site or may be activated remotely via a wireless, cellular, or other remote connection.

When a sensing mechanism in a maritime threat-sensing buoy 10 detects a threat object (or any frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum)—or when multiple sensing mechanisms in multiple buoys 10 detect a threat object—data about the threat object may be transmitted in real-time from the buoy(s) to a satellite system or other system (such as a 3G, 4G, or 5G system) configured to receive the data. The satellite system or other receiving system may then transmit the data to an external computing system for review by one or more operators. After reviewing the transmitted data, the one or more operators may warn one or more potential targets of the threat, if warranted. Alternatively, the external computing system may be programmed to automatically warn potential targets of threats without operator intervention. The threat may then be addressed in an appropriate manner.

Any of the above-described embodiments may be used alone or in combination with one another. Further, the maritime threat-sensing buoys and associated systems may include additional features not described herein. For ease of description, the buoys are referred to throughout this specification as “threat-sensing buoys” but they may also be used to detect non-threat objects, such as whales, environmental objects, or any frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum. While several embodiments have been shown and described, various changes and substitutions may of course be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except by the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A maritime threat-sensing buoy, comprising: a lower shell including at least a portion that resides below a surface of water when the buoy is afloat; an upper shell connected to the lower shell, wherein at least a portion of the upper shell resides above the surface of the water when the buoy is afloat; at least one sensor in the lower shell configured to detect threat objects below the surface of the water; and at least one sensor in the upper shell configured to detect threat objects above the surface of the water.
 2. The buoy of claim 1 further comprising at least one battery contained and secured in at least one of the lower shell or the upper shell.
 3. The buoy of claim 2 further comprising at least one solar panel on an outer surface of the upper shell configured to deliver electricity or other energy to the at least one battery.
 4. The buoy of claim 1 wherein the upper shell includes a top cover, at least a portion of which is radio-frequency transparent.
 5. The buoy of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor in the lower shell comprises at least one of a microphone, a radio-frequency detector, an infrared detector, or a visual detector, and the at least one sensor in the upper shell includes at least one of a microphone, a radio-frequency detector, an infrared detector, or a visual detector.
 6. The buoy of claim 5 further comprising a processor linked to at least one of the sensors in the upper shell or the lower shell that is configured to process data detected by the one or more sensors to which it is linked into smaller packets of data.
 7. The buoy of claim 1 further comprising at least one of: a lower waterproof electronics box in the lower shell that contains the at least one sensor in the lower shell, or an upper waterproof electronics box in the upper shell that contains the at least one sensor in the upper shell.
 8. The buoy of claim 1 wherein the upper shell and the lower shell comprise a unitary structure including at least one access panel that provides access to the interior of the buoy.
 9. A maritime threat-sensing system, comprising: a plurality of buoys positionable on the surface of water, each of the buoys including: at least one sensing mechanism configured to detect at least one of a hypersonic threat object or an underwater threat object.
 10. The system of claim 9 comprising at least three buoys configured to triangulate the position of a threat object.
 11. The system of claim 9 wherein the sensing mechanism comprises at least one of a microphone, a radio-frequency detector, an infrared detector, or a visual detector.
 12. The system of claim 9 further comprising a processor linked to the at least one sensing mechanism that is configured to process data detected by the at least one sensing mechanism into smaller packets of data.
 13. The system of claim 9 wherein the sensing mechanism is configured to detect threat objects at altitudes less than 100 km above the water's surface.
 14. The system of claim 9 wherein, when the buoy is afloat, the at least one sensing mechanism comprises at least one of a first sensing mechanism positioned above the water's surface, or a second sensing mechanism positioned below the water's surface.
 15. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one sensing mechanism is housed in a waterproof electronics box.
 16. The system of claim 9 wherein each buoy includes at least one battery contained and secured therein.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the buoys includes at least one solar panel configured to deliver electricity or other energy to the at least one battery contained therein.
 18. The system of claim 9 wherein at least one of the buoys includes a top cover, at least a portion of which is radio-frequency transparent.
 19. A maritime threat-sensing buoy, comprising: a buoyant shell; and at least one of: means for detecting hypersonic threat objects contained in the buoyant shell, wherein the buoyant shell is configured so that the means for detecting hypersonic threat objects is positioned above the surface of water when the buoyant shell is afloat; or means for detecting underwater threat objects contained in the buoyant shell, wherein the buoyant shell is configured so that the means for detecting underwater threat objects is positioned below the surface of the water when the buoyant shell is afloat.
 20. The maritime threat-sensing system of claim 19 further comprising means for processing detected data and transmitting the processed data to a device or system remote from the buoy. 